A day had passed since their last planning day at the restaurant, and the day of vacation had arrived. Zul, Eri, and Shimizu were gathered in front of Mizuha's house, waiting for Hikaru to arrive and take them to the resort.
"Ah, I can’t believe Hikaru is providing our transport for the trip. Looks like he’s really dependable for this."
Zul turned to her. "Well, Shimizu, you'll be shocked when you see him arrive soon."
Eri looked confused. "Hmm, what do you guys mean, Zul?"
Just then, Mizuha exited her house with her luggage.
"Thanks for waiting, everyone."
"You’re a bit late. What were you doing?"
"Just some preparations for the trip."
At that moment, a van stopped in front of them. It was a large, new, good-looking van with "Takamiya Corporation" written on it.
Mizuha turned to it. "Huh!? What’s with this van? Why is it stopping here?"
Shimizu mumbled. "Takamiya Corporation!? ... Takamiya... where have I heard that name before?"
"Well, that’s Hikaru’s family name. Have you forgotten?"
Shimizu looked surprised. "Wait, it’s Hikaru’s...?"
The driver of the van, a beautiful woman, stepped out and opened the side door.
"Who is this beautiful person?" Mizuha thought as she, Eri, and Shimizu stared at the driver.
"We’ve arrived at Mizuha-sama’s house, Hikaru-sama."
"Huh!? Hikaru-sama?" Mizuha exclaimed upon hearing that.
Hikaru got out of the van. "Thanks, Kirisaki-san."
"Thanks for waiting, everyone. Sorry I’m late."
"What’s wrong with you guys, looking at me like that? Is something funny on my face?"
Shimizu looked confused. "Wait, wait. First, there’s nothing wrong with your face. Second, what’s with this good-looking new van? Third, who is this beautiful woman with you?"
"Is she your big sister, Hikaru?"
Hikaru chuckled. "Big sister? Haha, no, you’re wrong. She’s not my sister, and I don’t have any big sisters, remember?"
"Let me introduce her. This is Kirisaki-san, one of my family’s house maids. She will drive us to our trip today."
"Nice to meet you. I’m Kirisaki, one of the maids at the Takamiya family residence. I’ll be your driver for this trip."
"Nice to meet you, Kirisaki-san."
"All of you get into the van. Let me bring your belongings to the back."
"Ah, thank you."
Before they could all get into the van, Shimizu suddenly spoke up.
"What’s up, Hikaru? I didn’t know your family was this rich, even having a family maid like her. You didn’t mention this before."
Mizuha leaned in. "Yeah, I heard a rumor that your family is wealthy, but this is more than I expected."
"Sorry about that. Actually, I didn’t want to stand out with my family’s status at school, so I’ve been keeping it hidden."
"That must be nice, being so rich. You can buy anything you want without worrying about money."
"Really!? I don’t feel anything special about being rich."
Eri turned to Zul. "Zul, is this what you meant when you said earlier that you were shocked after Takamiya-kun arrived?"
"Yeah, that’s it. Surprised, right?"
"Wait, Zul, you didn’t tell them about this?"
"Yeah, I just wanted them to see for themselves instead of me telling them directly."
"Geez, sometimes you just like doing things like this."
Then Kirisaki approached them. "Hikaru-sama, all the bags have already been loaded into the back of the van."
"Alright, looks like everything’s ready. What are you all waiting for? Come on, get in the van! We’re moving now."
"Oh!!!"
The group quickly climbed into the van. Zul and Shimizu took seats in the back, while Mizuha and Eri sat in front of them. Hikaru settled into the front passenger seat next to Kirisaki.
"All set, Kirisaki-san. Let’s get moving."
"Understood, Hikaru-sama."
Kirisaki then started the van engine and began driving toward their destination.
After the one-hour trip, they could finally see the sea from inside the van as they approached their destination.
"Mizuha-chan, look, we can see the sea from here," Eri said, pointing it out to Mizuha.
"Yes, you're right. It's such a beautiful sight."
"It looks like we're almost at our destination."
Hmm, Shimizu has been silent for the past fifteen minutes. I wonder what she's doing now, thought Mizuha, glancing at Shimizu sitting behind her. Wait, are you actually falling asleep?
Shimizu was indeed sleeping, which explained her prolonged silence. As the van navigated through a winding road, Shimizu's head had fallen onto Zul's shoulder.
Woah, that's quite an awkward moment, Mizuha thought, noticing the scene.
Mizuha attempted to wake Shimizu, but she was in a deep sleep. "Hey, Shimizu, wake up. You're burdening Zul right now."
Mizuha sighed. "Geez, she won't wake up."
Mizuha turned to Zul. "Zul, are you okay with this? She's not waking up and is leaning on you."
"Don't worry about it. Just let her sleep. I don't mind."
"You're so composed, even in this situation."
Suddenly, Mizuha's face took on a mischievous expression. "I know what to do now, hehe," she said, pulling out her smartphone.
"Mizuha-chan, your face looks scary."
"Wait, Mizuha. Don't tell me you're going to do what I think you're going to do."
"Yes, that's right. I've been waiting for this moment. It's time for payback."
Mizuha then snapped a photo of Shimizu sleeping on Zul's shoulder.
Mizuha grinned. "Okay, saved. I'll use this later if she teases me."
Zul sighed. "You must have picked up this attitude from her."
Mizuha chuckled. "Really? I never noticed that."
Hikaru laughed. "That's great, Mizuha. Save it, and please share it with me later."
"Understood. I'll share it with you later."
Hikaru-sama is laughing. I'm glad to see that. They must be really close, thought Kirisaki smiling, observing the interaction.
About ten minutes later, they finally arrived. Everyone except the still-sleeping Shimizu got off the van.
"We're here, finally!" they said in unison.
"Hikaru-sama, I have already placed all the belongings outside the van."
"Ah, thanks for that, Kirisaki-san."
Mizuha looked around, eyes wide. "Woah, this resort looks amazing!"
"Yeah, I can't wait to see how it looks inside," Eri added. She then glanced at Shimizu, who remained motionless in the van. "Hmm, Shimizu-chan is still not awake?"
Mizuha muttered. "Geez, that girl. How long does she want to sleep?"
She approached the van and looked at Shimizu's peaceful face. How long is she going to keep sleeping? she thought.
Determined to wake her friend, Mizuha swiftly delivered a playful chop to Shimizu's head. "Hey, wake up! How long do you want to sleep, huh!?"
"Woah!" Shimizu exclaimed, jolting awake in shock. "What is it, Mizuha? Why are you shouting at me like this?" she mumbled, scrubbing her sleepy eyes.
Mizuha, her anger barely contained, responded by chopping her head. "Good morning, sleeping princess. We've already arrived at our destination. Also, get off now—Kirisaki-san has already taken out our belongings and is preparing to return."
"Yes, I know, but you don't need to be this upset, okay? You look similar to my old hag when she's angry."
Mizuha gave her a scary glare. "Huh? What did you say?"
"Oh, it's nothing. You just misheard it, Mizuha."
Shimizu recognized the danger. Woah, she seems so angry, she thought to herself.
Slowly, Shimizu climbed out of the van while yawning.
Hikaru chuckled. "Having a nice sleep, huh, Shimizu? So how do you feel after being yelled at by Devil Sergeant Mizuha earlier? I bet you were shocked."
Shimizu punched Hikaru's arm. "Oh, shut up, Hikaru."
With their luggage unloaded, Kirisaki prepared to leave. "Hikaru-sama, I will return tomorrow to pick you up."
"Thanks for that. Please tell my mother not to worry."
"Understood. Then you all, please take care of yourselves." She then started the van's engine and drove back toward the Takamiya residence, leaving the group at the start of their vacation.
As the group gathered their luggage, Hikaru turned to them and suggested, "How about we head inside first? We can sort everything out once we're in."
Mizuha adjusted her bag on her shoulder. "That was a good idea, Hikaru."
Hikaru noticed and stepped forward, extending his hand. "Mizuha, give me your bag. I'll carry it for you."
"Thanks," Mizuha replied with a small smile, handing over her bag. She didn't bother arguing; she knew Hikaru would insist on carrying it even if she declined.
Nearby, Zul casually picked up Eri's bag without saying a word.
"Zul, wait! You don't need to carry that. I can handle it myself," Eri protested, reaching out to retrieve it.
"Don't worry about it. Just let me bring it for you," Zul said, smiling, and walked toward the resort's entrance.
Shimizu, watching this scene unfold, sighed inwardly. Sometimes, I get so envious looking at them. When will it be my turn to have a partner like that?
Deciding to break the growing tension, she spoke up in her usual joking tone. "Hey, Hikaru, what about my bag? Don't you want to carry it for me too?"
Hikaru turned to her with a flat expression. "Huh? You have hands, right? Carry it yourself."
"Tch, so cold to me as usual. That's not fair," Shimizu complained, crossing her arms in mock annoyance.
Before she could say more, Zul walked past and picked up her bag.
"Hey, Zul, that's my bag!" Shimizu exclaimed in surprise.
"Just leave it to me. You were slowing us down, and we still need to register and check in for our rooms."
"Well... thanks, Zul," Shimizu muttered, a bit embarrassed. She then shot a glance at Hikaru. "See, that's how a nice person acts—unlike that guy up front."
Hikaru whipped his head around to face her. "Hey, I heard that! Are you talking about me?"
Shimizu stuck her tongue out at Hikaru, pleased to have gotten a reaction.
This girl! Hikaru thought, holding in his anger while walking alongside Mizuha.
Once inside, the group entered the resort's grand lobby, where Hikaru and Zul managed their registration by presenting the tickets they had won earlier. Meanwhile, Mizuha, Eri, and Shimizu found seats on the plush chairs in the lobby.
Mizuha glanced around, her eyes wide with wonder. "Wow... this lobby is incredible," she murmured. The space was filled with luxurious decorations, from intricate wall carvings to elegant furniture.
"Look at that chandelier," Shimizu said, craning her neck upward. "It's massive! I bet that thing costs more than all of us put together."
Eri chuckled. "It's definitely something else. This resort is on a whole other level compared to the one I went to with my parents last week."
As they admired the surroundings, Zul and Hikaru returned with the room keys in hand.
"All set," Hikaru said, holding up two keys. "Let's head up to our rooms and get settled in!"
Hikaru handed Mizuha the key.
"Mizuha, this is a room key for you girls. You'll all be in one room, while Zul and I are in another."
"Oh, thank you."
"Room 48? What room are you in?"
"We got Room 49, just beside yours."
The girls got Room 48, while the boys were assigned Room 49.
"So, our rooms are right next to each other."
"It looks like that. It'll also be convenient if we need to call each other."
All of them went to the floor of their assigned rooms to find their accommodations. After a short search, they finally arrived at their respective doors.
"That's it! Finally!" said Shimizu, standing in front of Room 48.
"Mizuha, hurry up and open the door. I want to lie down on the bed."
Mizuha opened the room door. "Please calm down, okay. You were sleeping earlier, so why do you need to lie down again?"
Zul handed Eri the bag he had been carrying. "Eri, here's your bag."
"Oh, thanks for carrying it for me, Zul."
"Here, Shimizu, your bag too," Zul then tossing her bag to her.
"Oh, thanks."
"Then, see you all later," Hikaru said before they entered their respective rooms.
The girls entered the room and stopped, amazed by how large it was.
Mizuha looked around in surprise. "Wow… this room is huge! Is this really ours?"
Eri glanced around. "Looks like it."
Shimizu dropped her bag without hesitation. "Who cares? This is the key they're giving us, right, then it's ours now!" she said, running toward the nearest bed. With a big jump, she landed on it, bouncing slightly. "Whoa, this bed is so soft and comfortable!"
Meanwhile, Eri walked to the large window and pulled back the curtain. Sunlight poured into the room, revealing a stunning view of the ocean. "Whoa… this room really faces the sea. You can see everything from here!"
She unlocked the sliding glass door and pushed it open. A fresh sea breeze blew in, lifting her hair and filling the room with the scent of salt and freedom.
Eri stepped onto the balcony. "Huh, this breeze feels amazing."
Mizuha joined her, leaning against the railing and closing her eyes as the breeze brushed her face. "It was kind of like the wind on our school rooftop."
"Yeah, but here it smells like the ocean. It's so refreshing."
Shimizu, jumping between Eri and Mizuha, then slung her arms over their shoulders. "Hey, don't enjoy that by yourself—let me feel it too."
"Geez, you, Shimizu."
All three of them stood on the balcony, feeling the comfortable breeze.
Shimizu suggested they change into swimsuits. Excitedly, they did so.
"Is this really alright? I'm really worried this is going to become tight like before," Eri thought, looking at her swimsuit, which she had already put on.
"Eri-chan, what's wrong? Is there a problem with your new swimsuit?"
"No, it's nothing, Mizuha-chan, don't worry."
"Here, Mizuha-chan, apply this UV protection cream—it's to protect our skin from sunburn."
"Oh, thank you, I totally forgot about that."
Shimizu leaned in. "Hey, Mizuha, tell them that we want to swim right now. Do they want to come along with us too?"
"Geez, why don't you tell them directly? You've got a phone, right?"
"Sorry, my phone battery is dying, tee-hee," Shimizu said, actually lying about it.
"Alright, wait a moment, I'll tell them right now."
Mizuha informed Hikaru they were ready. He replied that he and Zul would join shortly but asked the girls to head to the beach first.
Shimizu complained. "What's taking them so long to prepare? Are they girls or what? It's taking this long to change?"
The girls eagerly left their room and made their way to the beach. Upon arrival, they were greeted by a lively scene filled with numerous people enjoying the sunny day.
The atmosphere was vibrant, with families playing in the sand, children splashing in the waves, and friends lounging under colorful umbrellas.
Mizuha, Eri, and Shimizu exchanged glances filled with excitement as they took in the beautiful view of the ocean and the cheerful crowd around them.
Mizuha scanned the beach. "Look at all these people! This is going to be amazing!"
Eri nodded, her eyes wide with wonder. "The beach looks so beautiful today."
Shimizu adjusted her beach towel on her shoulder, looking around. "There are so many people here; there's no good spot to set up."
"Then let’s find a suitable place for us to set our spot."
After walking forward, they finally found a suitable place for themselves. The area still had people, but not as many as before. "I think this is perfect for us."
Shimizu complained. "Geez, what are Hikaru and Zul doing? They are too late. Ah, I can't wait anymore. Both of you, let's go jump into the sea!"
She started running into the water. "Come on, Eri."
Eri chased after her. "Please wait for me, Shimizu-chan."
Eri and Shimizu ran into the sea and started playing with each other.
"The sea is so amazing! Take this!" Shimizu splashed water at Eri.
"Geez, Shimizu-chan."
"Then take this!" Eri splashed back.
Both of them laughed while playing in the water.
Mizuha then slowly walked into the water, lacking confidence and unable to swim. She seemed scared.
"Mizuha, what are you doing? Come on, the sea water feels great!"
"Wait, Mizuha-chan, are you still scared to swim?"
"Yeah, it looks like that..."
"Don't worry, it's not so deep here."
"Ah, how long are you going to wait? Come with me," Shimizu said, then dragged her into the water.
"Wait, Shimizu..."
"See, it's not as deep as you're thinking. It's really safe here."
"Yes, you're right. Maybe I was overthinking."
"Since you're here, let's continue playing in the water together. Take this!" Shimizu splashed water at Mizuha.
"Geez, you've already started."
"Eri-chan, let's splash water at her together!"
"You're right. Time to pay back!"
"Wait, that's not fair! You guys are joining forces," Shimizu complained.
"Take this!" Both Eri and Mizuha splashed water at Shimizu. The three of them laughed while playing together.
After ten minutes, they returned to the beach to rest for a moment.
Shimizu complained. "Geez, ten minutes have already passed. What are those two doing?"
Mizuha nodded. "Yeah, they're already too late. I wonder what they’re doing right now."
Shimizu stood up suddenly. "Ah, I'm so thirsty. Alright, you two, please stay here for a moment. I’ll get some drinks for all of us," Shimizu said, immediately heading to find the nearest shop.
"Wait, Shimizu…" Mizuha said, but it was too late as Shimizu was already moving.
Mizuha put her hand to her forehead. "Geez, that girl always does things without thinking."
"She's really excited to look for it right now, right?"
Then two strangers walked toward them. "Hey, look at those two, they're quite cute."
"Yeah, especially the one with blonde hair—she's totally my type."
"Also, look at the size of her chest—it's huge."
"Let's talk to them."
They approached Mizuha and Eri. "Hey, you two, you're both so cute. How about coming along with us?"
Woah, these were the type of guys she really didn't want to meet. Why were they everywhere? Mizuha thought, feeling uneasy and annoyed.
Eri was scared, clinging to Mizuha's arm and hiding behind her.
"Eri-chan, don't worry. I'll never let anything happen to you like before," Mizuha whispered, referring to a previous incident during their picnic by the river.
"Thanks, Mizuha-chan."
Mizuha gave them a fake smile. "Ah, sorry, we cannot go with you. We are waiting for our friends."
"Your friends can wait. Just come with us, okay? We'll treat you to food."
"Yeah, and you hiding behind her—why are you hiding? You're really cute. Come on, let's follow us. I'm really interested in you."
Geez, these guys just won't stop, Mizuha thought.
They kept approaching Mizuha and Eri more closely. "Come on, let's go together."
Suddenly, both strangers stopped as someone grabbed their necks from behind. "Hey, hey, what were you doing to my friends? Huh!?"
It was Shimizu, who had returned with drinks, gripping their collars.
"Shimizu-chan!"
"Sorry I'm late. I see these guys were trying to flirt with you."
"Yeah, as you can see."
"I see. Just because they're both cute, you were trying to get them to come along with you?" Shimizu tightened her grip on their necks.
"How about asking me to get along with you? I'm actually interested in you guys," Shimizu glared at them before releasing their necks and pushing them backward.
"What's with this tomboyish girl?" "Is she the friend they were waiting for?" they muttered, scared of Shimizu.
"Hey, Mizuha, what should I do with these guys?"
"Do as you like, Shimizu, as usual, but don’t overdo it, okay."
Shimizu gave them a terrifying glare. "Hey, you two, drop dead and get lost before I beat you both up."
"Let's get out of here. I don't want to get beaten up by this girl," one said. "Yeah, let's go," the other added, running as if the ground beneath them was burning.
As they ran, they suddenly bumped into two guys, causing both groups to fall and sit on the ground.
"Hey, why are you standing and blocking our way?" the strangers said angrily.
The men they had bumped into were wearing Hawaiian shirts, short pants, and sunglasses that covered their eyes.
One of them was carrying a baseball bat, a rolled-up mat, a beach parasol, and a net full of watermelons on his back.
Then one of them demanded, "Huh, did you say something to us?"
"Hey, you two! You didn't do anything to those girls, right?"
The strangers from before, now terrified, exclaimed, "Erk, what now? What's going on with these two? They look like the mafia. This is not good—they’re carrying that baseball bat. Are they planning to hit us with it? Let’s run from here!" They immediately fled the scene.
"Geez, wherever we go, do we always have to deal with these types of guys?" one of the Hawaiian shirt guys said.
Suddenly, the crowd surrounding them was amazed by their presence. "Hey, look at those two, they look so cool," someone in the nearby crowd said. "Yeah, I'd like to take a photo of them," another added with amazement.
"Hey, these outfits make us stand out too much. Look at this crowd staring at us."
"Just ignore them. First, we must go to their location now," the other replied.
"Hey," he said, beginning to walk toward Mizuha and the others.
"Huh, why are those guys coming here?" Shimizu wondered.
Oh, they haven't recognized us with this getup, I think I want to tease them for a bit, thought one of them.
As they arrived at Mizuha and the others, one of them said, "Hey, you cute ladies, you look very lively. Did something good happen?"
"What do you want here? What do you want from us? I won’t allow you to go anywhere near my beloved friends. Go away!" said Shimizu, protecting Mizuha and Eri.
"Ha, your beloved friends!? That’s so funny, Shimizu."
"Why can’t I go near them? You know they aren’t just your friends."
He removed his sunglasses and revealed his face.
Mizuha looked surprised. "Huh, Hikaru!?"
"And this must be Zul, right?"
"Yes, Eri, it's me," Zul said, smiling and removing his sunglasses.
It was Hikaru and Zul, now wearing Hawaiian shirts.
Shimizu complained. "You were late. What were you doing? Do you know that Mizuha and Eri were almost dragged away by strangers?"
"We know," Hikaru explained. "We had arrived at the beach earlier and saw everything. We wanted to intervene, but it seemed you had the situation under control."
"Anyway, you did an excellent job defending Mizuha and Eri, Shimizu. Thank you."
"Well, it was my responsibility to protect my friends when they were in trouble."
"Wait, were you blushing at Hikaru's compliment? That's so rare," Mizuha teased.
"No, I'm not blushing, you idiot," Shimizu retorted, displaying a typical tsundere attitude.
Mizuha chuckled. "It's not like you to act this way, Shimizu."
Shimizu laughed at their outfits. "What’s with that getup? Both of you suddenly dressing like that—do you think we’re in Hawaii or something?"
"That’s mean, Shimizu. You’re just laughing at us. Aren’t we allowed to wear this here instead of in Hawaii?"
"Sorry, sorry. I never expected you two to dress up like that."
Mizuha leaned in. "Just ignore her, Hikaru. Actually, that shirt really looks good on you."
"Um, thanks, Mizuha. I'm glad to hear that from you, unlike this person," Hikaru said, referring to Shimizu while tossing a rolled mat to her.
"Hey, why are you throwing this at me?"
"It's a mat for us to sit on. We were late because we were preparing all this stuff. I can't believe you guys went to the beach without bringing anything."
Mizuha and Shimizu chuckled. "Oh, we totally forgot about that."
Eri turned to Zul. "By the way, Zul, where did you get this outfit?"
"Well, Hikaru bought it for me. How do I look? Does it seem bad on me?"
"No, it really suits you. You look cool."
"Thanks, Eri."
Hikaru leaned in. "See, Zul, just as I said, this outfit really suits both of us."
"Yes, that's right. But I feel like it's making us stand out quite a bit," Zul said, feeling uneasy and uncomfortable with the crowd's attention.
435Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYyhEss4IN4
To be continue Part 2…
435Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4fI4gmvvrE
and then Add to home screen.